The Present Disclosure relates, generally, to a card connector, and, more particularly, to a card connector in which a sliding member slides smoothly in the forward/backward direction, a card can be guided in the forward/backward direction with consistent reliability, a lock member is capable of smoothly performing locking/unlocking operations, and the card can be easily and reliably inserted/ejected.
Conventionally, electronic devices (e.g., personal computers, portable telephones, personal digital assistants, digital cameras, video cameras, music players, game devices, vehicle navigation devices, etc.) have been provided with card connectors in order to use various types of memory cards. One example of a conventional card connector is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 2006-144638, the content of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein.
FIG. 22 is an illustration of a conventional card connector. In FIG. 22, 811 is a base member for a card connector, and 871 is a cover member for covering the base member 811. An IC card (not shown) is received in the space between the base member 811 and the cover member 871. The IC card has an electrode pad (not shown) exposed on its underside. Terminals 851 are retained in the base member 811. Contact parts 851c of the terminals 851 are provided at positions corresponding to holes formed in the cover member 871, and tails 851d of the terminals 851 extend from the interior of the base member 811 (the upper side in FIG. 22). In the example shown, contact parts 851c for a total of six terminals 851 are arranged in two rows to match the arrangement of the electrode pads of the IC card.
Ejection member 823 is slidable in the forward/backward direction, and biases the IC card in the insertional direction, i.e., the front side, using a coil spring 882. FIG. 22 illustrates a state prior to the IC card being inserted into the space between the base member 811 and the cover member 871, and shows the ejection member 823 projecting to the utmost extend to the front of the card connector (downwards in FIG. 22). The ejection member 823 is also provided with a card-receiving part 823a engaging with the front end of an inserted IC card, a locking hook 823b and a guide pin 823c engaged to be capable of moving within a guide hole 822 formed in the cover member 871. The ejection member 823 is capable of rotating around the guide pin 823c. The outer surface of the ejection member 823 (i.e., the left surface in the drawing) is biased inward (to the right in FIG. 22) by the free end of a return spring 875 formed on a side wall of the cover member 871. The inner surface (i.e., the right surface of FIG. 22) of the ejection member 823 is thereby pressed against a projection 876 formed in the cover member 871.
When an IC card is inserted into the space between the base member 811 and the cover member 871 from the front side of the card connector, the card-receiving part 823a engages with the front end of the IC card, and the ejection member 823 proceeds into the interior of the card connector along with the IC card against the biasing force of the coil spring 882. When the IC card reaches the interior and insertion is complete, the projection 876 advances into a recess adjacent to the locking hook 823b of the ejection member 823, engaging with a locking surface 823d. The ejection member 823 is then rotated around the guide pin 823c in the counterclockwise direction, as shown in FIG. 22, by the biasing force of the return spring 875, and the locking hook 823b engages with the rear end of the IC card.
The ejection member 823 is thereby locked in place by the projection 876, preventing the card connector from projecting forward. The front and rear ends of the IC card engage with the card-receiving part 823a and locking hook 823b of the ejection member 823, preventing the card connector from projecting forward, like the ejection member 823. In other word, the IC card is prevented from popping out unnecessarily. During the process of removing the IC card from the card connector, when the locking hook 823b is moved to the left as shown, the engagement of the locking hook 823b with the rear end of the IC card is released, and the locking of the ejection member 823 by the projection 876 is released, resulting in the IC card being pushed out and ejected from the card connector along with the ejection member 823 by the biasing force of the coil spring 882.